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This is what I worked on the past few days. Not blade related but something for a Christmas present. Made it from 15N20, 1084, and 52100. I twisted it several times, then cut about 7" off to make this cross. Only thing I didn't think about when I started this is that there are 26 separate surfaces to grind, sand, and polish. I ended up not sanding the sides and bottom. That saved me several hours. Sanded it down to 2500 grit and then buffed it. Heat treated it, etched in coffee, then then tempered it at 520° to turn it blue. It measures 4" x 2 5/8", and made to christian cross specifications.

I sliced the end off a damascus billet and etched it to see what I had. Then I decided to make this out of the slice. I offered it up on FB to the first person to show me a receipt for a $100 donation to a food bank. In not much more than an hour, someone took me up on it, and he's literally walking distance from the house . With my fat backsmith fingers I made a braided hemp cord for it, and a copper hanger, and I threw in a nice chevron bead. Not too shabby, and it's nice to work on a project with a quick finish. Geoff

Welcome to the madness! and Nice Start! Listen to these guys, they know what they're doing! The only thing I might throw in the mix is to start drawing and DO NOT ERASE ANYTHING. This may help in the template saving department too. But once you start drawing out designs, even if you have no intention to make them all, they start showing you lines and curves you do and don't like, and you'll start getting an eye for how to get the profiles to a place you like. Don't worry about "I can't draw", just sketch whats in your brain cause that's whats gonna come out in your forge.

Clamped up and waiting for the epoxy to dry.

Just finished the handles. Just some epoxy ones my wife bought online. I sanded the blade again and used more lemon just to bring out the hamon. Hopefully I can get the sheath done this weekend.

Just recently finished this one out. Same design as the one I did earlier this year, but with Thuya Burl. Blade - Wagon Wheel Wrought / 80Crv2. Handle - Thuya / SS hardware.

I decided to forge the longest early-medieval spearhead ever found in Poland. Its original find was found in the Lednica lake in 1961. It has a hexagonal socket. The blade is pattern-welded (four twist bars on each side). To forge it I used 19 cent. wrought iron and steel. It took 6 full day work days and. I used 120 kg of coke. here you can find complete cataloque of spears from Lednica lake: http://studialednickie.pl/wiadomosci/biblioteka-studiow-lednickich/66096ae1c4bcf6d985f3fd81714fdd9a.pdf

My latest Jarn Hond single edged viking sword....Hope you like it. I have been playing with replicating inlay (which i do not have the skill or patients for) with patternweld which I guess I do!

Managed to finish this along with some other stuff this weekend! I start with paper templates to get the shape of the shape sorted out. When you bend the paper over, you can use your finger to crease the paper and cut it to shape. The 'staples' are made from pattern wire sheet that I cut and trim, then bend over a form. These get some gentle hammering with a plastic jewelry hammer with some leather or shop towel in between the silver and the hammer. This cinches the staples firmly around the leather. I do them one at a time so I can drill and peen the rivet with

Not exactly blade related, I intended to have a long overdue clean up in the shop this evening. I was moving the bench saw out so I could clean when I found an off cut of 1095 /15n20 damascus that I made in the spring. You know how it goes you pick something up and you instinctively have a plan for it, Cleaning kit went away and in just under an hour I made, hardened an etched a keyring bottle opener, Far more interesting than cleaning up....... Always tomorrow I suppose